Strategic Initiatives 2018 to 2020

With its Strategic Initiatives, the FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland is helping to come up with groundbreaking solutions to pressing social issues. This process centres on interdisciplinary cooperation.

FHNW places great importance on boosting its expertise in interdisciplinary cooperation, something which is enshrined in both its 2018-2020 mandate and the FHNW 2025 strategy. In order to implement this strategic development focus, the university is launching a series of three-year impulse programmes, known as «Strategic Initiatives», to coincide with the mandate periods.

The Strategic Initiatives aim to build expertise for future cooperation with partners in industry, etc. and to create fresh impetus for our teaching. By adopting a university-wide approach, we are reinforcing and further developing not only our technical but also especially our methodological expertise in interdisciplinary problem solving.

We have already successfully implemented our 2015 to 2017 Strategic Initiatives. In 2018 to 2020, we will be focussing on the following issues: digital change in construction, digital technologies for people with disabilities, digital recreational games for the elderly, collaborative robots and mobile health processes.

The following five projects were approved by the University Board and will be completed by late 2020:

The projects

Construction

Shaping digital change in construction from a social and technical perspective – developing a model based on how buildings are created and used.

Strategic Initiatives 2015 to 2017

Swiss Challenge Entrepreneurs' Programme

The FHNW runs the Swiss Challenge Entrepreneurs' Programme to promote entrepreneurial and sustainable activities among SMEs, students and other university members. The four promotional competitions known as the Swiss Startup Challenge, the Swiss Innovation Challenge, the Swiss Next Challenge and the Swiss Sustainability Challenge are free to enter and offer a comprehensive range of support. Find out more